License-tag holder and speed-indicator.



S. A. RICHARDS, E. H. VAN I- IVIBURGH IL C. ZELLER.

LICENSE TAG HOLDER AND SPEED INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET II Patente July (i, T915e m @May S. A. RICHARDS, E. H. VAN EIVIBURGH IL C. ZELLER.

LICENSE TAG HOLDER AND qSPEED INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED I LILY 30.1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ier ic.

SWEDEN A RICHARDS, EBEN H. VAN EMBURGH, AND CLAYTON ZELLER, OF'A'EASTON,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

ideama.

Specification of Letters Patent.

LICENSE-TAG HOLDER AND SPEED-INDICATOR.

rammed Juny e, rois.

Application filed July 30, 1914. Serial No. 854,198.

This'invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in license tags for automobiles and the like and it has for its objects among others to provide a simple and eliicient device of this general character in which is combined. a license tag and speed indicator' with means for illuminating the same, whereby it is possible to tell-either during the day or at night not only the license number of the car, but also whether or not it is exceeding the speed limits of the locality through which it is passing.

Suitable means are provided for actuating the indicator, such as a governor Whereby the speed of the machine 'serves to automatically control the movements of the indi- Gator. @ther objects and`advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the 3io novel features thereof will. be particularly pointed out in the appendedj claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the' numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a view looking at the rear end of an auton'iobiie showing our improvement applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation with portions broken away. Fig. 3 is t0 a transverse section, a's on the line of Fig. if, looking in /the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a vertical section, as on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a side elevation.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

lt will be evident that the device hereinafter described may be attached to thc rear or the front of the automobile and may he @10 supported in position in any suitable manner, the novelty in the present instance not residing in the speci tic means of attachment or in the location of the device.

The invention is capable of embodiment ttt in a' variety of forms, that herein shown being what we consider at the present time the preferable one.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the axle and Q the wheels of a motor vehicle of any well known or desired form of construction. On the wheel so as to rotate therewith, is a gear 3 with which meshes a smaller gear 4, 5 being a flexible shaft of known form, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that the speed of the machine will be communicated to the governor soon to be described, which will automatically control the movement of the indicator.

6 designates a casing which may be of any desired contour, such as triangular, as indicated in Fig. 3. lt is designed to be attached to the automobile in any well known way. It has provision for holding the license tag 7, which tag and its mode of attachment may be as found most expedient. Within the upper part of the casingis formed a receptacle or compartment 7 by means of the inclined partition 8, as seen in' Fig. 4, and within this compartment at the rear of the front wall thereof is arranged a gas or other burner 9 for the purpose of illuminatinghthe license tag at night. This may be supplied from any suitable source by means of the tube or connection 10.

'l1 is a door in the side of the casing to permit access to the burner and 12 is a ventilator for an obvious purpose. At the fr'ontrofthe casing, and in this instance shown' as below the license tag, there is a dial for showing the speed of the machine. In the present instance, it consists ofa plate 13 `secured in position in any suitable or well known way and provided with a red Zone 14, a green zonei and a white zone 16, the latter indicating, in the present instance, the twelve mile limit, the green Zone the twentyfour mile limit, and the red Zone 'any excess of twenty-four miles'. 'lt is evident, how-A ever, that these indications as well as the variety of colored Zones may be varied according to the State in which the machine is being run, as in some States the laws vary, but for the purpose of demonstration of the operation of the present device we will assume vthat the dial is arranged for the State of Pennsylvania under which State vlaw the maximum speed is twentyfour miles per hour and the minimum speed is twelve miles per hour.

' 17 is an index hand or pointer pivotally mounted, as at 18, to some suitable support within the casing and pivotally connected with the lower end of this pointer, as at 19, is a horizontally extending arm 20, to which, in turn, is pivotally connected, as at 21, the lowervend of an arm 22 which is pivotally mounted between its ends, as at 23, and is shown as provided at its upper end with an elongated slot 24 with which may be adjustably connected, as at 25, one end of the governor rod 26, the adjustment being provided in order that the point of connection of the member 26 with the arm 22 can be varied in order to permit the rod 26, which moves on a fixed horizontal line, free action and to prevent binding at the point 25.

27 is a spring connected at one end with the lower end of the pointer 17 adjacent the pivotal connection 19 of the arm 20 therewith and at its other end 28 connected to some fixed support within the casing, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

29 is a ball governor of any well known or approved form of construction and operating in the following manner: As the speed of the :machine increases, the balls are thrown outward and the arm 22 is moved in :the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, which brings or moves the arm 20 in the direction of the arrow shown thereon in said F10. 2, thus moving the indicator' er pointer l? to the right, thereby indicating increased speed. The spring 27 serves to normally keep the pointer at Zero, it being understood that zero designates the starting point and that as the machine travels its speed lifts the pointer one notch for every mile of increased speed.

The operation will be apparent. When the machine is passing through any municipality, the red zone of the indicator will show the authorities whether or not the speed exceeds thetwenty-four mile limit. 1f the pointer is over the green Zone, it in dicates that the machine is going more than twelve miles an hour and not more than twentyefour. When the speed slows down to less than twelve miles, the pointer will be over the white zone, thus indicating that the twelve mile limit is not being exceeded. A 'transparent plate 30, see Fig. 4f, is preferably placed over the license tag 7 and the limit indicating members 1li, 15 and 1G, and, as seen in Fig. 4, the pointer 17 works in the space between this transparent plate and the ing certain legal limits, act as an aid to the eye which will naturally travel from the colored zone to the figured mile indication.

Modifications in details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What is claimed as new 1s:-

l. In a device of the class described, va dial with different colored zones, a pivotally mounted pointer for cooperation therewith,

an arm connected with one end of said pointer, a pivoted member connected with said arm, and a vehicle-controlled.governor slidably connected with said member.

2. In a device of the classdescribed, a dial l with different colored zones, a pivotally S0 mounted pointer for coperation therewith, an arm connected lwith one end of said pointer, a pivoted member connected with said arm, a vehicle-controlled governor connected with said member, and a spring connected with said pointer and acting in opposition to said governor.

3. In a device of the class described, a dial withdiiierent colored zones, a pivotally mounted pointer for cooperation therewith,

an arm connected with one end olf said pointer, a pivoted member connected with said arm, a vehicle-controlled governor slidably connected with said member, and

spring connected with said pointer and 9:3

ing in opposition to said governor.

SWEDEN A. RTCHHN EBEN H. VAN Eli/BURGH. CLAYTON ZELLER. lVitnesses: y

RAYMOND S. Koen, 1' JAMES MCCANN.

portion of the casing, for 60 

